The Woman Hunter from the Adirondack Mountains

By Edith Parker Willette

Edith Parker Willette demonstrates the thrills of experiencing nature first-hand as she talks about hunting and its intimate connection to her life in her new book, The Woman Hunter from the Adirondack Mountains.
The Woman Hunter from the Adirondack Mountains chronicles Willettes extensive hunting experiences, beginning in her early years through her hunter father. Willette was often excited about hunting and the stories the men brought from the woods. Mother would try to interest me in my one doll but I always wanted to hear [Father and Uncle Ralphs] stories, Willette remarks about her interests, already clear from the start.
In The Woman Hunter from the Adirondack Mountains, Willette lists down tips and tricks on hunting various game including deer, turkey, squirrel, and rabbit, and on fishing, dedicating a chapter on each. With the discussion of each game, the author purposefully unfolds the unforgettable experiences tied to each, which she hopes to share to readers for their varied enjoyment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 30, 2009
• ISBN: 9781465333445

Edith Parker Willette

n/a

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Copyright © 2009 by Edith Parker Willette.

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Contents

Chapter One

Deer Hunting

Chapter Two

Turkey Hunting

Chapter Three

Squirrel Hunting

Chapter Four

Rabbit Hunting

Chapter Five

Fishing

I dedicate this book to my husband for his patience while I wrote it and our many happy hours of hunting. Gloria Rist, for our hunting experiences. My grandson, Ron, as we share many hours talking of hunting experiences. Also, all the women and men hunters.

Chapter One

Deer Hunting

Having been born in Newcomb, N.Y.—the heart of the Adirondack Mountains in the year of 1925 I remember being interested in deer hunting from the time I was very young. My father and uncle Ralph would sit around the table in the evenings comparing their hunting experiences as they did not hunt together, each having his favorite territory.

Mother would try to interest me in my one doll but I always wanted to hear their stories. Father soon picked up on this and often took me in the woods with him. Perhaps it was only to get wild flowers for mother, to get some spruce gum or a Christmas tree but we always checked the deer trails in late summer and early fall and looked for deer sheds in the spring. So my interest in the woods was kept alive and grew stronger as the years passed. Every minute in the woods was precious to me and along with learning about the woods and animals I could hardly wait for the next adventure.

Father was very strict in his teachings but always made everything so interesting that I learned fast. I was taught as much about the lives of partridge, deer, bear, rabbits, coyotes and skunks as father knew. Once we were checking on some foxes that had a den near the back pasture when we came across a bobcat feeding on a dead animal that he had killed.

Any animal is so interesting to watch and learn about but I found deer the most interesting lesson as we went out in the woods in early spring and watched the little fawns with their mothers and followed through their life cycle into the fall and early winter. Father would always tell me he had hunted here or there or wherever we were and of his experiences as well as the animals he had taken in that location.

A favorite saying from father that I have enjoyed telling my children and grandchildren is that deer are beautiful and interesting to watch and learn from in the spring and summer but when fall comes you think of food for winter.

A picturesque part of the Adirondack Mountains is the true Adirondack guide. I am related to eight of them from Newcomb: Abner Beldin (my grandmother’s father who came to Newcomb in 1819), Adelbert and Henry Parker (both sons of Zenus Parker who was my great grandfather), Anselm Parker, Elbert Parker as well as Samuel Parker who was my grandfather, Ralph Parker (my uncle) as well as Abner Parker (my uncle). I am also related to several guides from Long Lake in the Adirondacks.

Today I believe the Adirondack guide was born to being a guide just as I believe that I was born to be a natural in the woods, finding my way anywhere and to love the wilderness and animals as well as the solitude, peace and tranquility so walk humbly in the forest and enjoy all of this. I find most of the best places left on this earth are the ones least touched by man.

Father taught me at a very early age the safety of guns as well as the importance of them in our lives to take meat for food. He also taught me how to clean and load the gun and had me often practice shooting to make sure that I handled the gun safely and to become a good shot.

Father and I spent many hours in the woods where he hunted and he was always testing me to see if I could find my own way back. He would say in case I break a leg you can find your way for help. Now I know that I was also being trained for the many times when I would be hunting alone later.

After strict training in all this one morning he called me before daylight and said he was going hunting if I would like to accompany him on his venture.

I was always taught to make my bed and make sure my room was neat before leaving the house so this had to be done. Then breakfast was eaten in such a hurry that mother scolded me to slow down before I made myself sick.

Back then you didn’t have the clothes and boots of today but only heavy woolen socks inside barn boots along with a woolen sweater and an old jacket that I wore to feed the pigs would have to do. But I didn’t care as I was going hunting with my father.

Now I realize that the smell of barn clothes doesn’t bother the animals as any deer near farms are familiar with the odor but don’t use perfume or fabric softeners. Of course there again today we have special soaps for washing our hunting clothes but sorry I don’t use them as I always say the most important thing is not to move. I have had deer come very close to me, take a sniff and not run away but just act curious.

So, into the car and down to grandpa’s and grandma’s farm where father parked the car by the barn and we left for the woods. I had been there with him so many times before that I knew my way in the dark.

Now, the next step was walking quiet so not to scare the deer that I had learned before but was now being put to the test. Take a few steps walking with such fluid movement that you seem not to be moving. Stop and check to see if you can see a deer standing, walking or laying down. Look for a flicking ear, an eye, a horn or tail. Do this every four or five steps. If you feel a twig under your foot then let your foot up and choose another spot to put the foot before you put your weight on it and make a cracking noise that echoes through the forest. Later in life when I could afford L.L. Bean boots I realized the difference that you could feel the twigs in from the ones that were heavy and you really had to be careful in.

Anyway father was pleased with my progress and said so which made me be even more careful.

We saw two deer and I wondered why he didn’t shoot but since there was a rule of no unnecessary talk I said nothing. Later back at the house I asked and found another rule of no mother deer or young deer as the little ones could perhaps become a nice buck the